A select band of 9 Poly Ramblers undeterred by the heat and distance from London, turned out for a spectacular varied walk along the east sussex coast and inland through the beautiful south downs national park.

We started with a briefing on the Seaford seafront and then began the walk up the steep ascent of Seaford Head. Once on the top the walk was relatively flat and the sea breezes made the heat bearable. In the distance we could see the unmistakable chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters. At Cuckmere Haven we turned inland, still on the Vanguard Way, until we reached Exceat bridge where we had to negotiate a busy section of road with heavy traffic. We crossed this and decided to stop for lunch at a magnificent viewpoint above Exceat overlooking the Cuckmere River as it made great sweeping loops out to sea. We felt a few spots of rain but it didn’t amount to much.

We continued through woods which provided much welcomed shade from the fierce sun. We eventually reached the village of Litlington where we walked along the banks of the river Cuckmere into the village of Alfriston. Alfriston is one of the oldest villages in the county and is full of quaint half timbered houses. We decided to treat ourselves to ice creams and sat and ate them on benches in the middle of the village high street. In Alfriston there were unisex public toilets that we all visited and I have to say they were the cleanest free toilets I have seen in a long time. Continue reading SEAFORD TO BERWICK – SATURDAY 18 JUNE →

On a rather grey Sunday morning, a very respectable turn-out of twenty-five members met at Stratford Station for the walk with a further two joining enroute. The Line is London’s first dedicated public art walk. It starts in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and that’s where the group joined it, alongside the Waterworks River. The first of twenty exhibits was the AccelorMittal Orbit by Anish Kapoor, then its slide by Carsten Holler followed by a series of Madge Gill works under a railway bridge. Soon after, we reached the Greenway with a distinct aroma signalling the Northern Outfall Sewer beneath! After crossing Stratford High Street, we joined the Three Mills Wall River towpath with a tall structure in the style of the 2012 Olympic torch on the opposite bank. Continue reading THE LINE WALK: STRATFORD TO NORTH GREENWICH – 15 MAY →

Fourteen Poly Ramblers undertook the challenge of a strenuous 13 mile/22k figure of 8 walk from Haslemere.

The weather was perfect for walking, partly sunny with good visibility. We walked through Haslemere which has been decked out in 70th Jubilee bunting, and then ascended up towards Black Down following the Serpent’s way (a well signposted trail). The terrain was varied, walking through fields then shady woods until we got to the Down. The hill was kind, spreading out the ascent and everyone made it comfortably. On the Down there was a magnificent view to the west, although there were not many obvious landmarks. 10 minutes later, lovely views from the Temple of the Winds viewpoint from North West to South West. There were views of the South Downs. This was a good spot for mid-morning refreshments.

We then, after negotiating random cows took a lovely return down to Haslemere through beech woods. We had a short break for lunch, finding some outside seating or in one of the many cafes/hostelries. There was an option at this point to cut the hike short, but pleased to say there were no takers. Continue reading HASLEMERE DOUBLE LOOP TO BLACKDOWN AND HINDHEAD – 21 MAY →

On a truly beautiful morning, 9 of us arrived at East Grinstead. The first bit of the walk almost took us back in time, beginning with tarmac pavement by a noisy road, then a quiet road, then a path, a track & eventually the slightly trodden grasses across a field which told us that other beings had been there. We had several lovely sightings of Weir Wood reservoir sparkling in the morning light, we passed a farm where they were preparing for a wedding celebration & someone warned us of a swarm of bees nearby & then we skirted the water, half in fields & half in light woodland.
It was all very quiet with few people out on that lovely morning apart from ourselves. At the Stone Farm Rocks (SSSI), there were a few young people trying to climb them or just enjoying being there but really, until we hit the Cat Inn at West Hoathly, we had the world almost to ourselves. After lunch in the churchyard & swift pints in the pub, we climbed up past Gravetye Manor & walked in the cool, mostly deciduous woods enjoying the sunlight through the trees & the early summer smells. It was a mixture of meadows & light woodland after that until we hit Worth Way, the old railway line that goes to East Grinstead station so there was no horrible road-walking at the end to spoil the day.

Harriet.  Photos by Geoffrey

There was a group of 6 Poly Ramblers and myself who met outside West Drayton station on the day leaving around 10.15am. Unfortunately it was a wet and dismal day but nevertheless we did the walk there and back, rain not being so heavy although it did not brighten up until we finished it and ended up at my house for tea. One of the walkers cut the walk short at Hayes to get his train back but the rest of us continued to the end.

The walk was largely uneventful but I gave the background to the park which has no toilets and café facilities there as the council had demolished the old manor house which stood there around 1945 after the end of the last war as the council could not afford to keep it under repair. The old coach houses are still there and the clock above it and I told the group that lottery funding had been given during lockdown to refurbish the coach houses and cellars beneath and hopefully the toilets and café/visitor centre, which was all closed and neglected, would be reinstated. We were lucky to do the walk the day we did for as we entered the park the council had put a sign up saying the renovation works would start on 9th May and then there would be no access to that main part of the park where the seats, coach house site and other things were. We took our picnic lunch in the area on the seats in front of the coach houses. I told the group that during lockdown 2021 when I had done the first walkover an archaeology group had excavated the area near where we were sitting to find the remains of a former manor house there and had found historical remains going back to 17th century or earlier. This was the same group which has been excavating the grounds in Marble Hill House, Twickenham.

I showed the group where the community orchard still is and the placards showing the large number of different varieties of apples and pears. The blossom had largely fallen from most of the trees due to warm spring and now the rain. It was noted on these that the trees remaining now had been planted by someone in the community in 2003 but these replaced several earlier orchards going back as far as 17th century similar to the original remains found on excavation to find the earlier historic house.

We got back to my home around 4pm for tea and home-made fruit cake (delicious cake – Editor). Geoffrey and Chris  left the earliest to get back to West Drayton station where Geoffrey had parked his car  but Stuart, Gillian and Andrew  left to get back by bus and other routes.

Val Evans.  Photos by Stuart and Gillian